Blackmail for Life
by Lessa
Summary: R/H fluff. Ron reads something of Hermione's that he wasn't meant to see....


A/N: Here's an odd little spiel for ya....that's right, it's more fluff from yours truly! It's  
very rushed and very pointless and *extremely* unrealistic, but I hope you like it anyway.   
Enjoy!  
  
  
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Ron Weasley lay on his bed in his dormitory, fuming silently. Stupid old Hermione, he  
thought angrily, punching his pillow. Did she ever stop nagging? Do this, do that, do  
this.....Ron gritted his teeth. I'll show her what I can and can't do....  
  
  
His threats were cut short, though, by the appearance of an old, feeble owl carrying a  
package. The owl landed on Ron's bed, dropped the package, and promptly fell over.   
"Oh, Errol," Ron sighed, filling a cup with water from the pitcher by the windowsill and  
setting it beside the exhausted owl.  
  
  
He then turned his attention back to the package. He tore it open, only to find masses of  
black fabric. Hogwarts robes, he thought. A letter fell out of the wrapping. It was from  
his mother, telling him to give the robes to Hermione, as they were hers - she had  
forgotten them at the Burrow during her visit. Ron snarled at the package and kicked the  
robes of his bed out of contempt toward Hermione, and as he did a folded piece of paper  
fell out of one of the pockets.  
  
  
He bent over and picked it up curiously. He was dying to read it but he knew he probably  
shouldn't; it was Hermione's, after all, and it was probably something private that she  
didn't want him to see....that made it even more tempting. And the fact that he wasn't  
exactly on good terms with Hermione at the moment didn't help...he grinned evilly.  
  
  
Ron sank back on to his bed and unfolded the note slowly, his curiosity overcoming his  
common sense.  
  
  
Hey Ron~  
  
  
I feel incredibly stupid writing you this letter - but hey, you're never going to read it, so I  
don't care. I really don't know what else to do - I could never tell you these things in  
person, you'd never let me live it down. Or you'd tell Fred and George and *they'd*  
never let me live it down. Ugh, that would be horrid.....  
  
  
Well, that's not the point. The point is that I guess I sort of like you. *Like* you. As in -  
you know. I like you. I know, I can't believe it either, and I've no idea how it could have  
happened, because I definitely don't *want* to like you. It isn't my choice.  
  
  
If it were my choice it would have been someone....well....different. Someone who  
shared my interests - someone who was calm and honest and actually follows rules every  
once in awhile....pretty much the exact opposite of you, huh? He would study with me  
and he wouldn't complain and he wouldn't tease me or fight with me....but if he did all  
those things then he wouldn't be you. Besides, I guess that would be kind of  
boring....you do know how to liven things up, Ron.  
  
  
Ugh. I cannot believe I've just written all this down. It's better to write it down than to  
tell someone, though....at least I can trust that this piece of paper won't tell anyone.   
Especially since I'm going to destroy it after I finish.  
  
  
One day, though....you'd better look out, Ron. One day I'm going to walk up to you,  
when you least expect it, and kiss you until your head spins, just to see how you'd react.   
Colin Creevey'll be there of course, with his camera, and he'll snap a picture right as I  
pull away, so he can get a perfect view of the look on your face. I know I'll never forget  
your expression, but with a picture, I'll have blackmail for life. It'll be absolutely  
priceless.  
  
  
That's it for now - you're yelling at me from the garden - something about quidditch and  
a Wonky Faint or whatever they're called. I'll go out and watch you, but the moment I  
get back in I'm going to burn this letter, to make sure that it never gets to you. I'm not  
sure what else to say...how do you end a letter like this? I really don't know, as this is the  
first one I've ever written. You're the first person I've really felt this way about. It's  
strange, Ron.  
  
  
I guess I'll talk to you in a minute, and watch out - you never know when I might just  
walk up to you and kiss you. I have to confess; I hope you'll kiss me back.  
  
  
Hermione  
  
  
Ron stared at the letter, eyes wide, his senses a wild jumble of disbelieving thoughts, his  
previous anger at Hermione forgotten. How could it be - this was Hermione? Confident,  
solid Hermione? Know it all, studious, don't-mess-with-me Hermione? *Hermione?*  
  
  
He reread the letter several times, still not daring to believe its contents. Fred and George  
playing another trick on me, he thought unhappily, his good spirits draining away, or  
Ginny, or even Harry....  
  
  
Yet, still, in the back of his mind, something was telling him that this was no joke. He  
didn't think any of his friends or siblings had the heart to do something so cruel, and the  
handwriting was certainly Hermione's own. Ron felt a grin spreading across his face in  
spite of himself. To think that Hermione - *Hermione* - had feelings strong enough to  
write such a letter....it was rather flattering, he had to admit. Hermione had always  
seemed so strong and confident - she'd always known what she wanted. And he was the  
one who could jumble her thoughts and confuse her. Amazing! He read the letter again,  
his grin widening, and then hurried down to the common room.  
  
  
He found it relatively uncrowded; he spotted Hermione sitting with Ginny on a sofa next  
to the fire. Glancing around again, he found Colin Creevey, and hurried over to him.  
  
  
"Colin?" he said hurridly.  
  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
  
"Can I borrow your camera for a minute? The muggle one that makes the instant  
pictures?"  
  
  
"Sure..." Colin looked puzzled, but dug around in his bag anyway. "Here..."  
  
  
"Thanks!" said Ron, grabbing the camera and hurrying away before Colin could question  
him. Once he was safely away from Colin, he glanced at Hermione and Ginny and  
swallowed nervously, and then took a deep breath and strode over to the couch. Ginny  
glanced up at him and he winked, and then tapped Hermione on the shoulder.  
  
  
It happened in seconds. Hermione looked up at him and he pressed his mouth against  
hers - he felt her jump in surprise - he waited a few more seconds and then pulled away  
and raised the camera.  
  
  
Ginny was doubled over in laughter, Hermione was sitting still as a statue, an expression  
of shock plastered across her face. Ron shoved the robes into her lap. "I'm supposed to  
give these to you, and -" he handed her the letter, "I thought you might want this back." Hermione gasped as she recognized the letter.  
For once, she seemed to have been rendered speechless. She just stared at him,  
stunned.  
  
  
The picture popped out of the camera and Ron looked at it affectionately. "Blackmail for  
life," he said, grinning. And with that, he turned on his heel, returned the camera to  
Colin, and headed up the stairs to his dormitory without looking back.  
  
  
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A/N: Short and....well...not exactly sweet. Odd is more like it. :-) Very rushed, very  
PWP, I know, but please review it anyway. ~:-) 


End file.
